Exascale CFD of Industry Relevant Combustor Geometries for Sustainable Aviation (in collaboration with Rolls-Royce) University of Edinburgh in United Kingdom

This PhD project at the University of Edinburgh, in collaboration with Rolls-Royce, aims to advance the frontiers of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for realistic combustor geometries in sustainable aviation. Hosted by the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre (EPCC), the research will leverage and extend the ASiMoV-CCS code, focusing on exascale computing capabilities to support industry use cases. The project is part of the VECTA EPSRC Strategic Prosperity Partnership, continuing the work of the ASiMoV project to enable virtual design and certification of next-generation aeroengines. Addressing climate change, the research targets engines that are more efficient and compatible with low-carbon and carbon-neutral fuels, requiring unprecedented simulation accuracy and scalability.

Key research areas include mixed precision computing, the impact of lower-precision hardware, and the adaptation of numerical methods for complex geometries. The student will explore how reduced precision affects accuracy in industrial cases, assess module sensitivity, and investigate hardware acceleration (e.g., tensor cores) for CFD+combustion problems. The project also examines decoupling physics implementation from parallelisation to adapt code for heterogeneous hardware environments.

Applicants should hold a UK Masters degree, a first in undergraduate integrated Masters, or its international equivalent in computer science, informatics, physics, mathematics, or engineering. Strong programming skills in C, C++, or Fortran and experience with scientific applications are essential. Familiarity with algebra, linear algebra, probability, and statistics is required. English language requirements must be met. Experience with numerical methods, scientific programming, HPC, CFD, combustion, and numerical analysis is highly desirable.

Funding is available for eligible candidates, covering tuition and stipend. However, nationals or dual-nationals of countries on the US Commerce Control List are not eligible for this studentship. The application deadline is April 15, 2026. Applications should be submitted via the University of Edinburgh application form, referencing the supervisor and project title. Prospective students are encouraged to use this page as a starting point for their research proposal and to discuss their application with the supervisor.

For further information, see the ASiMoV-CCS solver reference (PASC25, 2025) and research on mixed-precision iterative refinement (Proc. R. Soc. A, 2020). Additional eligibility details are available at the US Commerce Control List (website).